


The Bend and Snap

by the_glare_you_see



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Legally Blonde - Hach/O'Keefe/Benjamin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Lawyers, And musicals, F/F, F/M, Hogwarts is a law school now lmao, Idk British slang dont attack me, Lawyers, The Author Regrets Nothing, Voldemort doesn’t exist, We love character arcs hereeee, What even is this universe???, but not rlly, i'm sorry lmao, just throw canon out the window, very americanized
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:48:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23063485
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_glare_you_see/pseuds/the_glare_you_see
Summary: "Wait a minute," Fleur said, slamming the magazine onto the banister of the stairs, "This is the kind of girl William wants.""What?" Elise asked, attempting to see the page over Fleur's shoulder."He wants someone serious, someone lawyerly! Someone who wears black when no one's dead!""Oh no," Vivienne muttered, recognizing that crazed look in Fleur's red-rimmed eyes."Ladies, I have the most brilliant plan!" Fleur spun around and faced them with a wide grin, "I am going to law school!"orFleur Delacour's life has been perfect-- up until it isn't.Following the split-second decision to follow her ex-boyfriend to Hogwarts Law School, Fleur finds that she may have signed up for more than she bargained for.
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Bill Weasley, Fleur Delacour/Hermione Granger
Comments: 91
Kudos: 218





	1. Omigod You Guys

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> mostly based off the Legally Blonde Musical but i'll have some of the movie in there as well ^-^
> 
> enjoy!!
> 
> Zen
> 
> also- pls leave comments and kudos, because it makes my day!

“Fleur’s getting married!” Gabrielle Delacour screeched, tumbling through the pristine doors of Beauxbatons, startling most of the girls that were lounging around the sitting room.

_“Mon Dieu!”_

“What?”

“Since when?”

A chorus of excited exclamations rose and a sea of brightly colored, flowing dresses swarmed around the young Veela, all vying for more information.

“Well, he hasn’t asked yet, but _come on!”_ the young girl exclaimed, moving further into the room, “They’re the perfect couple! _Of course,_ he’s going to propose!”

“Girls!” A voice exclaimed, catching their attention before they could descend into more incoherent screams, “Do you know what this calls for?”

“A celebration?” One asked, clutching her hand to her chest, “Oh, I’m so excited!”

“Adelyn, get the candles! Claire, Vivienne, go get all the girls and meet us in the foyer near the stairs!” The three girls rushed off to do their respective tasks while Gabrielle could barely restrain herself from bouncing off the walls in joy.

“Oh Elise, I’m so excited!” she yelled, shaking the young Beauxbaton. Elise chuckled and removed Gabrielle’s hands from her shoulders. One by one, the Beauxbatons members filed into the foyer.

“Everyone get in line, hold your candles high and smile!” Elise exclaimed, getting a candle and positioning herself at the front of the line. The girls fell into a line and ascended the stairs, singing the chant they had created for this specific occasion. Elise reached for the handle and poked her head inside the pink room. 

“Erm, ladies?” she called, not turning around, “She’s not here!”

_“Quoi?”_

“Excuse me?” Voices once again rose and Elise groaned, sorely tempted to cast a silencing charm.

“Are you kidding me?” Gabrielle shoved her way into Fleur’s room and grinned upon seeing Fleur’s dog, Bruiser. “Bruiser! Where is Fleur?” Bruiser barked in response and the Beauxbatons watched as Gabrielle translated.

“She doesn’t have an engagement outfit? She is totally freaking out? She’s trapped in the Old Valley _Mill?”_ Bruiser barked as if offended and Gabrielle amended her statement, _“Pardon,_ the Old Valley Mall!”

_“Mon Dieu!”_ Elise exclaimed, herding all the Beauxbatons down the stairs and out the door, “No one should be left alone to dress and accessorize!” One by one, the girls apparated to the mall, with Gabrielle hitching a ride with Elise.

——

In the dressing room, Fleur Delacour stood clad in a form-fitting white gown, critically assessing herself in the mirror. “It's almost there, it's just missing a _je ne sais quoi,”_ Fleur mused, examining her reflection in the mirror. _I can’t go to dinner basically screaming ‘yes’ to a proposal, I’ve got his pride to think about._ She twisted her body and examined the back, scanning how it flowed over her body. She heard chatter out in the hallway and she poked her head out in time to see a hoard of Beauxbatons running down the hall with Elise and Gabrielle in the lead.

“There she is!” one of them yelled as she stepped out into the hall, with a wide smile spreading across her face. She could always count on her sisters to help her in crisis.

“Oh my gods, you guys!” she exclaimed, as she was pulled into seventeen different hugs.

“Do you think he’s going to propose?” Vivienne asked, only to be interrupted by a chorus of "yes".

"Every time he looks at me, I can see he has something to ask me. The question is practically jumping from his lips!" she said, with a wide grin. 

“This love is forever, this is no time to economize!” Elise exclaimed, ushering Fleur back into the dressing room, instructing her to change as the rest of the Beauxbatons scattered throughout the store, with Fleur joining them once she had changed. 

A saleswoman approached Fleur, carrying a powder pink dress.

_"Excusez-moi,"_ she said, tapping the blonde on the shoulder. Fleur turned around with a smile, fully prepared to politely tell the saleswoman that she did not need help, but she didn't have the chance to get the words out of her mouth.

"Have you seen this?" The saleswoman's smile was sharp, "It just came in and it is _parfait_ for a blonde." Fleur looked at the dress and smiled.

_"Oui,_ with a permanent warming charm on Elvan silk?" Fleur asked, raising a brow.

"Yes, of course!"

"But the thing is, you can't use a permanent warming charm on Elvan silk, it will change the color. And you didn't just get this in because I saw it in last May's Witch Weekly," Fleur said and the sales woman's face drained of color, "I'm not about to buy last year's dress at this year's price."

“Fleur saw right through her lies,” one of the Beauxbatons whispered and the rest erupted into giggles.

"It may be perfect for a blonde, but I'm not _that_ blonde. I may be in love but I'm not stupid, I've got eyes, you know."

“Oh my stars, Fleur Delacour!" the manager rushed out, having been summoned by Gabrielle, "I am so sorry! Courtney, take your break!" 

"Oh, it's fine--"

"Just ignore her, she’s been struggling lately. Try this, the latest from Milan!" she said, summoning a pink dress from one of the racks. Fleur took the dress and rushed into the dressing room, giddy with excitement. All the Beauxbatons waited outside, excited whispers filling the air only to fall silent as Fleur stepped out.

“Oh, my gods-- this one is _perfect!”_ She spun around and the girls screamed, swarming around her once again.

——


	2. Serious

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> second chapter y'all
> 
> special thanks to @Harmonic_Wisp and @Sapphosong for helping me with this chapter cause i cant write sad things
> 
> a n y w a y
> 
> remember to leave kudos and comments bc they rlly make my day! stay safe yall!

The restaurant was beautiful, as usual, Fleur expected nothing less from William Weasley. He looked severely handsome in his tailored, form-fitting suit and his bright red locks slicked back against his head. Fleur swallowed and gripped his hand tighter, attempting to reign in her excitement, as she followed him to their table, almost matching him in height with how tall her heels were. They sat at a small, intimate table, near the center of the restaurant, automatically smiling at each other when their eyes met. Fleur could feel her heart beating in her throat as they ordered their drinks.

“Oh Bill, tonight’s just _perfect,”_ she said, resting her chin in her hand.

“No, you are.” Bill leaned in, hazel eyes hooded, and a charming smile playing on his lips. Fleur could’ve sworn she swooned.

“No, you are.”

“No, _you.”_

“You- ok, now I’m getting annoyed,” she said and they both laughed, settling back in their chairs. Gentle violin music floated throughout the restaurant, calming Fleur just the tiniest bit.

“Fleur, I'm glad you're here,” he said, leaning forward once more and causing the dim light to reflect off his eyes, “Every man would dream to have a woman that looks like you.” Fleur giggled and flipped her hair, leaning forward.

"Well, you're not so bad yourself," she replied and he grinned, extending his hands across the table. Fleur hesitated, debating which hand to put forward and finally settled on her left, flexing her fingers in a way that made her ring finger more pronounced.

"You have made me so happy and these past few years have been complete paradise, but I’m going to be serious with you for a second." Fleur nodded solemnly, forcing herself to stay as still as possible.

“I’m going off to Hogwarts soon,” he started.

“I am so proud of you, by the way,” Fleur replied, squeezing his hand. He looked down at the table as his smile fell slightly.

“My family is putting a lot of pressure on me to get a respectable job and you know how influential they are,” He said and Fleur nodded with a sympathetic frown on her face, “and I need someone serious by my side when that happens, so Fleur?”

“William?” she breathed, leaning in even further and fluttering her lashes.

“I think we should break up.”

“I do!” she exclaimed, almost squealing with excitement, when her brain caught up with his words, “Wait _what?”_ William pulled his hands away with a grimace and Fleur’s vision became blurry with unshed tears. Fleur felt her world start to shatter around her as she tried to understand what was happening. 

“Look, Fleur-”

“You’re breaking up with me?” she asked. Her chest felt like it had been crushed and she felt her tears start to trail down her face, “I— I thought you were _proposing!”_ William reached out, as if to grab her hand, then retracted it as a conflicted expression crossed his face.

“I mean— with the whole Ginny spectacle, my parents are now putting all their expectations on me and if I’m going to get them off my back, then I’m going to need someone serious. I mean, look at you, you’re not exactly the epitome of classy,” he quickly said, attempting to get her to calm down. Fleur gaped at him, looking down at her outfit.

_“Juste ferme-là!”_ Fleur held her hand up, stopping him from saying anything else. She flicked the tears from her face and grimaced at the black stains on her fingertips, “You don’t think I’m _serious?”_ All those times they had talked about having a future together, all the dates, the fights, the proclamations of love— _were they all a lie?_ Was everything he promised just meaningless words? “I am seriously _in love_ with you!” She saw by the expression on his face that he wasn’t going to change his mind. She pushed her chair back and stood up, mascara trailing down her face in dark rivulets. 

“Fleur-” he started to say, but she was already storming out of the restaurant. The cold air nipped at her face as she focused on putting as much distance between her and the restaurant where William was. She looked back and, with her hand clamped over her mouth to stifle her sobs, apparated away.

When she arrived back at the Beauxbatons house, her sisters were all crowded around the hall, with enormous smiles on their faces. Fleur quickly turned around and pressed her head to the cool wood, squeezing her eyes shut as more tears appeared.

“Fleur!” Gabrielle exclaimed, rushing forward to meet her. Fleur didn’t reply, didn’t even give her sister a chance to speak- she just bolted up the stairs and slammed the door to her room shut, and finally allowed herself to collapse in sobs on the other side.


	3. What You Want (pt. 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here we goooo ch 3!!
> 
> honestly, i had to split it up cause it was getting kinda long lmaoo
> 
> and also-- i get my chapter titles from the musical soundtrack, so you can totally listen along it the mood strikes you!
> 
> as always, pls leave kudos and comments bc they make my day!
> 
> stay safe and sane
> 
> \-- zen

Once the first wave of tears had stopped, Fleur began to barricade herself inside her room, summoning an obscene amount of chocolate and piling sappy romance novels around her. _I am never going to see the outside world again_ , she thought as she wrapped herself in the many blankets that adorned her bed. Her face was a mess of streaked mascara and smudged lipstick and she spent the next few days either sobbing her eyes out in complete misery or angrily throwing her books at the wall in heated anger. Her soul felt broken and her Veela keened, mourning for her almost mate. She felt like it was tugging her somewhere and for once, she wished that she could ignore her Veela, if only to get her heart to stop tearing itself to shreds.

\----

_“Chérie,_ it’s been twelve days!” Elise called, knocking on Fleur’s door which stubbornly remained shut. “Please, we just want to make sure you’re ok!” There was no answer and she sighed in frustration, frighteningly close to just blasting the door down and storming inside.

“You know what?" Gabrielle shouted, from the bottom of the stairs, "I think he should be shot!” Elise turned around, abandoning her previous thoughts, and made her way down the stairs, joining the small cluster of Beauxbatons at the bottom.

_“Oui!”_ Elise replied, crossing her arms and coming to a stop, “Also, I don’t think he’s that hot—”

“I do!” Vivienne interrupted, raising her hand with a devious grin.

“Well,” Elise glared at her, _“you’re a slut.”_ There were several gasps and Vivienne immediately turned on her.

“ _Look who's talking!”_ She said, waving her finger at Elise, who immediately fired back an insult.

“Oh, uh-uh! I have three words: Spring Break Combo!” Gabrielle cut in, determined to stop a catfight from happening. Vivienne flushed bright red and began shouting denials, only to have her voice drowned out by the rest of the Beauxbatons as all the girls started mimicking her drunken dance from that night. Their ruckus was enough to draw Fleur out of her room, with an irritated look etched onto her face.

“Must we all descend into madness?” Her voice cut through the din and everyone immediately hushed, dispersing through the house. Gabrielle, Elise, and Vivienne all hurried up the stairs, each clutching various magazines in their hands.

_“Mon cher!_ How are you doing?” Elise asked. Fleur sank back against her closed door and shut her eyes. She was wrapped up in a fluffy pink bathrobe and her hair looked like something akin to a rats nest. 

“We bought you your favorite magazines,” Gabrielle said, offering one to her. Fleur took it with an attempt at a smile. She could tell from the look on their faces that she had failed.

_“Merci, Gabi,_ but I don’t think even the newest trends can bring me out of my shame spiral,” she said, flipping through it anyway. Elise rubbed a comforting hand on her shoulder and began murmuring to Vivienne about getting something to eat when Fleur screamed, shutting the magazine.

“What is it?”

“Are you ok?”

“Do not tell me ponchos are back in,” Vivienne said, shrugging when Elise glared (once again) at her. “What?”

“No it’s not that,” Fleur replied, carefully opening it once more, “Look— there’s William’s brother Charlie and his new wife.” 

_“Oh,”_ Gabrielle said, trading a look with the other two. Fleur was silent, her eyes flicking over the text and the picture. Gabrielle could see the gears turning in her sister’s head and backed away slightly.

"Wait a minute," Fleur said, slamming the magazine into the banister of the stairs, _"This_ is the kind of girl William wants." She jabbed a finger at the girl on the page.

"What?" Elise asked, attempting to see the page over Fleur's shoulder.

"He wants someone serious, someone lawyerly! Someone who wears _black_ when no one's _dead!"_

"Oh no," Vivienne muttered, recognizing that crazed look in Fleur's red-rimmed eyes.

"Ladies, I have the most brilliant plan!" Fleur spun around and faced them with a wide grin, "I am going to law school!"

——

“Law school?” Apolline Delacour asked, her tone was in disbelief as she stared at her oldest daughter. 

_“Oui, maman,_ law school!” Fleur replied, watching as her mother levitated the coffee pot over with an elegant flick of her wrist.

“But _why?_ Law school is for boring, ugly, serious people and you are none of those things, _ma chérie.”_ Her mother poured the coffee and began to delicately sip as Fleur huffed in offense, reluctantly picking up her cup. “I don’t understand why you can’t stay here and pursue fashion as you planned?”

“Because of _love, maman,”_ Fleur said, gripping her mug tightly, “I need to win his love back so we can be together!”

“Fleur, you don’t even know if he’s your _mate—”_

“Something in my heart is telling me to follow him, so he must be!” Fleur was leaning so far forward, in an attempt to get her point across, that she almost fell off her chair, “Please, _maman,_ you know that I need to go.” Apolline stared at her and sighed, reluctantly nodding her head.

“Very well. Although I don't know _why_ your Veela chose that boy, out of everyone on this earth, to love, we cannot argue against it,” her mother said, a frown pinching her face. Fleur cheered and was about to stand when her mother stopped her, “I’ll make you a deal.” Fleur sat back down with a slight pout and crossed her legs.

“Yes?”

“Get into Hogwarts Law and I shall pay your tuition for the first year.”

“Child's play,” Fleur said with a laugh.

_“However,_ you must keep your GPA at least a 3.5 in order to continue to study there. Do we have a deal?”

“Yes.”


	4. What You Want (pt. 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quarantine over here driving me crazy kadjfhjhf;dsj
> 
> stay safe yall!
> 
> \- Zen

Getting into Hogwarts was easier said than done, as Fleur found out soon enough. She had to sacrifice almost every social engagement she had scheduled, much to the chagrin of her sisters. Instead of partying outside with the Durmstrang boys, she spent copious amounts of time holed up in the library, feverishly reading every book on magical law she could find, and taking practice exams.

\----

“Done!” Fleur exclaimed, slamming her test down in front of Gabrielle, who was peacefully reading in the seat beside her.

“Fleur, I’m right here. You didn’t have to slam it down—”

“Just grade the test, Gabi.” Fleur groaned, getting up and pacing around the room. It was quiet for a few minutes, except for the scratching of Gabrielle’s quill, before she got up and presented the test to Fleur. It was littered with red marks and Fleur shut her eyes in dismay.

"134, try again," Gabrielle said, pushing Fleur towards her paper-strewn desk, "Remember, you need at least a 175 on the LSAT, not to mention your personal essay and your letters of recommendation."

_"Oui, Gabrielle,_ I am well aware of the requirements, you've only said them about a million times!" Fleur said, sinking into her seat and covering her face. She heard the distant screams and laughter of the girls below and she sighed. _Be strong._

"Fleur, are you sure this is the right decision?" Her sister asked, causing Fleur to frown in her direction.

"I _have_ a 4.0 average—"

“In _Enchantments,_ not Magical Law. What makes you think you can do this?" Fleur grabbed her sister by the arms and shook her.

_“Love,_ Gabi! My Veela is begging me to follow him!"

"Even if that’s so, you still need to meet the requirements in order to get in," Gabrielle said, fighting her way out of Fleur’s octopus hug.

\----

"156, still not Hogwarts material. Try again." Fleur groaned, taking the test back to see what answers she had gotten wrong. Flipping open her textbook, she began to mumble the sentence that was beginning to become her mantra as she searched for the answers.

"Love, I'm doing this for love."

\----

“It’s here, it’s here!” Gabrielle shouted, waving the envelope around. Fleur sprang up from where she was sitting but hesitated, her hand stopping short of grabbing it.

“Can you check?” Gabrielle nodded and pulled the thin piece of parchment out. She was silent, her face giving nothing away as her eyes scanned the page.

"Well, what did I get?" Fleur asked, resisting the urge to rip the paper out of Gabrielle's hands. Her body was tense, waiting for Gabrielle to answer her.

"179…" her sister whispered, sounding shocked. Gabrielle raised her head, her eyes shining with excitement and a grin growing across her face.

"179?" she asked, plucking the paper out of her sister's slack hands, “Gabrielle you better not be messing with me!” Gabrielle shook her head with a grin as Fleur flipped the page over. There it was, printed in big letters on the thin parchment. 

**Delacour, Fleur: 179**

"Oh my-" Fleur said, only to almost be tackled by her sister in an enthusiastic hug.

“179!” they screamed, chanting the number over and over, running through the halls to let the Beauxbatons know.

\----

“Gentlemen, Hogwarts Law will be admitting Cedric Diggory and Blaise Zabini,” a woman by the name of Ingrid Rostman said, handing off the applications to her associates, Pembrook and Silverman, who both nodded in approval.

“And now for Miss Fleur Delacour, who was kind enough to send in a headshot.” Just under the cover page of Fleur’s application, there was a moving picture of Fleur flipping her hair and smiling brightly at the camera.

“I’m fairly sure she’s Veela,” Pembrooke replied, taking the picture with wide eyes.

“We should admit her!”

“On what reasons?” Ingrid asked with a sigh.

“…multiculturalism!” Silverman exclaimed, looking to Pembrook for backup.

“Yes! Multiculturalism!”

“Oh, pull yourselves together! This is Hogwarts Law, and we are professionals for heaven's sake. I will not allow her to be admitted on looks and blood status _alone!”_ Her two coworkers looked sufficiently chastised and she rolled her eyes.

“She started,” Pembrook flipped frantically through the application, “an all-inclusive shopping guild, which means she has the drive to make a change.”

“She also is a capable leader, since she is the president of her sorority.” Ingrid sighed and nodded, just wanting them to shut up and move on. She took the application back and glanced down at the headshot. 

“Well, Fleur Delacour, welcome to Hogwarts.” Fleur’s picture smiled up at her and winked.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its kinda a filler chapter but we'll live akhgafksdjhskdhksdj


	5. Blood in the Water

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> introducing: Hermione! (and a few others who we don't rlly care about lmaoo)
> 
> yeet this chapter kinda got away from me so here's like, an extra-long one i guess lmaoo
> 
> pls feel free to leave comments and kudos bc those make my day!
> 
> stay safe yall
> 
> \- Zen

The ivy-covered walls of Hogwarts rose high above the heads of its students, all swathed in shades of black and white, with the occasional splashes of blue and brown. Among them was Fleur Delacour, a jarring splash of bright pink and blonde hair. She sailed through the campus, her head held high with a charming yet aloof smile on her face as she attempted to find her class.

“Excuse me!” she called, tapping the shoulder of a brunette passerby. The lady turned around with a tired smile as her huge messenger bag thumped against her leg. 

“Yes?”

“Do you know where I can find the Laws of Magic, Course 1 with Professor Fudge?” She asked, _and if William just so happens to be in the same class, that would be amazing,_ her brain unhelpfully added. The brunette adjusted her bag and nodded.

“I’m actually headed there now, so you can just follow me.” 

_“Merci,”_ Fleur replied with a grin, falling into step with her. She was brimming with excitement, fighting the urge to sprint to wherever William was. 

“You’re really excited to be here, aren’t you?” Her guide said, eyeing her with amusement. Fleur blushed.

_“Oui,_ something like that.”

“I don’t blame you, Hogwarts is an experience. Ah, here we are, Magical Law 101.” Fleur stopped and waited as the brunette tugged open a door, “Feel free to sit wherever you want. Fudge should be here shortly.” 

Fleur stepped inside and examined the room. The tall stone walls rose up into high, arched ceilings. There were a few students sitting or choosing seats and chatting. She chose a seat near the front and started towards it before a familiar laugh made her stop in her tracks.

“Fleur?” She whirled around at the voice, pretending to act shocked when she saw William standing behind her. He looked shocked and stood, frozen in the doorway. Students shoved past him, pushing him into the room as Fleur sauntered forward.

“William! That’s so funny, I completely forgot you went here!” She smiled brightly as he attempted to form a coherent sentence. 

“What are you doing here?” He finally managed to ask.

“I go here,” she replied, coming to a stop. William huffed out a laugh and awkwardly scratched the back of his neck.

_"You_ got into Hogwarts?"

"What, like it's hard?" Fleur laughed. She saw William swallow and visibly steel himself and was about to say something else when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned around and saw the lady who had helped her find the classroom.

"I think this is yours," she said with a small smile, holding out a scroll, "Delacour comma Fleur."

"Is this my social calendar?" she asked and the lady laughed before trailing off awkwardly when she realized that Fleur was completely serious.

"Er… no, it's your academic roster." Fleur frowned, plucking the folder from her hand.

“Oh, well look at that,” Fleur frowned, plucking the scroll from the brunette’s hand, turning back to William, who still looked shocked and patted his shoulder, “We _must_ catch up after class!” 

Around her, she noticed that everyone had something to take notes in and their books all in easily accessible places. She folded her hands in her lap and stared straight ahead, not bothering to get any out.

“Since we have a few minutes before the Professor arrives, does anyone have any questions about the course or school in general?” The brunette was standing at the front, with her hands tucked into her worn jacket and staring at the students, who murmured among themselves in confusion. She seemed to realize “Oh right! Sorry, I’m Hermione Granger, your TA for this class. I graduated a few years ago as Valedictorian and have been working with Professor Fudge for some time now.”

“You seem really young to have already graduated!” someone in the back called out and Fleur felt a spark of anger in her chest. Hermione, (finally she could put a name to the face) smiled, although her eyes were not amused and tapped her fingers on the desk.

“Appearances can be deceiving,” she replied, “Anyway, I’m sure you’ve all hear rumors about Fudge, but don’t worry, he’s a great teacher and-”

The door slammed open, capturing everyone’s attention, and cutting Hermione off. A short, pudgy man with a calculating, wrinkled brow stalked in, a scowl solidly placed on his face. Fleur’s eyes narrowed before she forced herself to relax. Her Veela seemed a bit jumpy and Fleur reasoned that it was because she was in the same room as William for the first time in months.

“You have the right to remain silent! Anything you say can and will be used against you.” Hermione moved away from the center of the room and Fleur’s eyes tracked her for a moment before snapping to the front.

“The joke you most often hear, when you choose to pursue law is this: a lawyer is a shark.” A few scattered chuckles echoed throughout the room before fading out. “Ignore it, it’s simplistic and it’s _dumb._ Only some of you will be sharks, but the rest are _chum.”_ He started to pace around the room, the roster clutched in his hand as his sharp gaze flitted over every student. 

“Mr. Diggory, hypothetical question,” he called, glancing down at the roster, “would you be willing to defend the following banker accused of fraud?”

And so the class went, with Fudge asking the students questions and shooting down each one of their answers. He seemed a bit too harsh with his critiques, if she was being honest, expecting them to know the proper answers when it was only their first day of class. 

“Miss Delacour?”

“Yes?” she replied, with a smile, sitting up straighter in her seat. Fudge raised a brow and came to a stop in front of her seat.

“Would you please summarize the case of Howard v. Ministry from last night's reading?” Fleur blinked, the smile on her face frozen. 

“Forgive me, but who assigns reading on the first day of class?” she replied with a small giggle. His eyes narrowed and Fleur heard the parchment crumple.

“You’ve got _guts,_ Miss Delacour,” he replied, stiffly walking away, “Miss Chang! Let’s say you teach a class at Hogwarts Law school, a position which you are justly proud of. But you find that one of your student’s hasn’t read the case at all, would you forgive her or?”

“No,” the girl replied. Fleur turned around in her seat, furrowing her brows as “Miss Chang” finished, “I’d throw her out.” Fleur’s jaw dropped and she whipped around to face the front as Fudge glanced at her.

“Well there’s your answer, Miss Delacour,” his smile was condescending and Fleur felt the beginnings of shame start to trickle up her spine, “Please extract yourself from this classroom and if you come back, be ready to learn,” he said. Fleur moved, gathering her bag and walking with her head held high towards the door. She briefly met Hermione’s eyes and saw the sympathetic smile, which made her face burn even more and the door shut behind her with a dull thud. 

Fleur sucked in a breath, pushing herself off the door and striding towards the courtyard where she plopped (gracefully) onto a bench, staring blankly at the ivy-covered wall in front of her and willing the shame to dissipate so she could continue on with her life. Fleur sat there until the class was dismissed, forcing herself to stay still when she heard laughter and jokes.

“Hey,” the quiet greeting jolted her out of her thoughts and Fleur looked up to see Hermione awkwardly standing beside her, “don’t let that get to you. I was kicked out of my first class too. Apparently, I ask too many questions.” the brunette joked, awkwardly clearing her throat when Fleur didn’t laugh.

“Do you have any advice?” Fleur asked, almost pouting but refusing to give in to the urge. 

“Yeah, do the reading and just be prepared for the next class. That’s the best starting point I can give you.” Fleur nodded and spotted the girl who had gotten her kicked out, Chang, making her way through the courtyard. 

“Excuse me!” Fleur called, standing up. Hermione stepped back glancing over her shoulder as Chang looked up, a brow raised.

“Yes?” she replied, crossing her arms.

“Why would you do that? Us girls need to stick together, no?” Hermione backed away some more, her head rotating between the two glaring girls.

“I didn’t do anything. You just weren’t prepared.”

“So I’ll leave you two alone then!” Hermione exclaimed, swiftly exiting.

“Cho! There you are!” William exclaimed, running over. Fleur glanced at the two of them in confusion.

“You two know each other?” she asked. Chang smirked, and turned towards the redhead, tilting her head.

“William, is there something you wanted to tell Fleur?” William flushed and laced their fingers together.

“Cho, this is Fleur, my ex,” he said, and Fleur ignored the stab in her heart at the prefix, “Fleur, this is Cho, my girlfriend.”

For the second time in her life, Fleur felt her world crumble around her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sdajkhfskjhkajdhukjafhdksjg
> 
> this chapter was hard to write tbh so thanks to @Harmonic_Wisp and @Sapphosong for dealing with my angst-ing and freak outs asjhfjksdfjkdhfjksgdkhjk
> 
> kay baii lmaoo


	6. Positive

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heyyy.... its been a while, hasn't it?
> 
> anyway, I went with the movie scene rather than the musical for part of this chapter lmaoo
> 
> um, pls feel free to leave comments and kudos bc they make my day!
> 
> stay safe y'all!
> 
> \- Zen

“I’m sorry, I must have hallucinated, what did you say?” Fleur asked, her voice barely controlled. She could feel her Veela thrashing around inside her, practically begging to rip Cho’s face off and claim William. _Violence is never wise,_ she thought, _calm down._

“Cho and I went to the same boarding school. We reconnected over the summer and discovered how much we had in common and one thing led to another and... here we are.” William said, smiling at Cho, who placed a kiss on his cheek before turning to look at Fleur with a smirk. Fleur swallowed and grabbed her bag.

“Can you excuse me?” she said, swiftly turning away, not bothering to hear their response. She just had to get out before she did something drastic, like summon a fireball and hurl it at Cho’s unsuspecting, irritatingly smug face.

\----

She walked to the nearby town, still too unsure of her surroundings to apparate. The last thing she wanted to happen was to end up in a ditch somewhere with a missing limb. (She was angry, not impulsive.) A few stray tears slipped down her face and she brushed them away with an impatient flick of her hand. Her eyes restlessly flicked over colorful signs before stopping at one. A colorful snake with a monocle curled around a sign that read _Stacy’s Sparkling Styles_ in a large, loopy font. Her hand, against her better judgment, reached out and gripped the handle tightly. It was the only thing, she reasoned with herself as she pulled the door open and stepped inside, that would make her feel like she had any amount of dignity left. There weren’t a lot of people in, seeing as it was still fairly early on a Monday. 

She stalked over to a table nudged into a corner and plopped down in the seat with a huff. A young woman with blonde hair a shade or two darker than Fleur’s and wearing the strangest set of glasses popped up from behind the table with a faint smile.

“You have wonderful shoes!” she said, scooting onto her chair. Fleur hastily wiped off any remnants of tears and plastered on a smile.

_“Merci,”_ Fleur replied, placing her hands on the table as the woman instructed, “I bought them last week.” The nail artist nodded, summoning over a basket of nail colors.

“What colors would you like?” she asked, nudging her glasses onto the top of her head and revealing slightly distant, blue eyes. Fleur glanced around, before catching sight of her reflection in the mirror. Her blond hair was glinting in the sun and she knew what she wanted to do.

“Actually, um,” Fleur paused, realizing that she didn’t know her name.

“Luna.” The woman patiently supplied.

“Luna!” Fleur tightly grasped Luna’s hands in hers, “Can you make me a brunette?” The borderline dreamy look in her eyes was replaced by a stern stare and Luna shook her head.

“No.” 

Fleur frowned. “Why not?”

“I’m not sure if you’ve looked in the mirror recently, but you’ve won the genetic lottery,” Luna said, pulling her hands out of Fleur’s grasp.

“Because I’m a Veela?” Fleur asked, as her spine went rigid.

“No, that’s not what I meant. Something else is going on.”

“What do you mean?”

“The Wrackspurts don’t lie.”

“Wrackspurts?”

"They often show up when someone is in _a lot_ of emotional turmoil," Luna explained. Fleur nodded, still not fully grasping the concept. Luna sat there and stared at her and the Veela sighed, scooting her chair closer before beginning.

"I followed my ex-boyfriend all the way to Hogwarts Law--"

"That's a great school," Luna commented, pushing her strange, multicolored lenses further up her head.

"It is, isn't it? Anyway, I came here to win him back because I believe he is my mate. But now he's dating an evil preppy," she said, slumping in her seat.

"Why?"

"She's 'serious'." Luna raised a brow, not impressed and Fleur groaned, “She wears black blazers, button-up shirts, and pencil skirts! That’s like, the epitome of ‘serious!’” Fleur collapsed onto the small table in between them, causing the many jars of nail polish to rattle slightly. Luna patted her back sympathetically.

“Fleur, if he really is your mate, then it will all work out in time,” she said. Fleur groaned, lifting her head up to rest it in her hand.

“We Veela are not very patient people,” she replied. Luna smiled and picked out a container of pastel pink nail polish and held out her hand. Fleur complied, letting the nail artist begin to paint as her eyes scanned the rest of the boutique. Her ears picked up on a conversation and against her will, she tuned in. They seemed to be discussing plans for an upcoming part and Fleur perked up. 

“Party? I love parties,” Fleur said, looking in their direction. Cho Chang and another woman from her class was staring at her and Fleur immediately deflated, _“Bonjour,_ Miss Chang.”

“Hello, Fleur. Yes, there is a party, you’re welcome to come if you want, but I don’t think that’s really your scene.” Cho’s smile was obviously forced and she spoke with clipped politeness.

“Oh, Fleur, maybe he’ll be there! You should go!” Luna said, just loud enough for everyone to hear. Fleur fought back a facepalm.

“Definitely come! It’s a costume party,” Cho was smirking now as she dug through her handbag.

“I love costume parties!” Fleur said with a smile. Cho scribbled something onto a loose piece of parchment and handed it to her.

“I’m sure you do. The party’s next week at seven. See you there.” The two left and Fleur looked down at the paper, committing the address to memory. Fleur looked back at Luna, who was grinning in a slightly unsettling way.

“What?” she asked, furrowing her brows.

“If you need any help with your costume, I might have an idea or two.”

\----

Fleur took a breath, steeling herself for the (probably) obscene amount of eyes she knew were going to be on her the moment she walked in. _Just go in and find William,_ she smiled at the thought, pulling open the door and stepping inside. She scanned the crowd of smartly dressed law students who were staring at her with wide eyes and definitely not in any sort of costume and felt her stomach sink. She quickly turned around, resting her head against the wood as wolf whistles and catcalls echoed through the room. She inhaled sharply and thrust her shoulders back, spinning around and sauntering through the crowd. She spotted a familiar head of red hair leaning against one of the tables and breathed out a quiet sigh of relief.

“Hey stranger,” she said, leaning on the spot next to him. William looked up from examining his drink and promptly choked.

“Fleur!” His eyes trailed down her body and she grinned, crossing her legs. Seeming to remember himself, his eyes snapped up, locking with hers, “What are you doing here?” 

“Well, I’m here, enjoying this nice party with great company,” Fleur replied, with a slight nudge to his arm. He laughed, taking a swig of his drink.

“You know, I still can’t believe you’re here at Hogwarts. I mean, when we were in France, you never would’ve guessed it. Do you miss it?” He turned to her and Fleur pursed her lips.

“Miss what?” she asked, leaning closer.

“All the parties where we felt like we were kings among commoners.”

“Ah _oui._ You funneled all the Firewhiskey and I had to hold your head while you hurled.”

“Not one of my finer moments,” he admitted, punctuating his statement with another drink, “Why can’t it be that way again?” 

“Dreams don’t just, disappear,” she said, a smile slowly beginning to form, “We could keep dreaming them here.”

William raised a brow. “How?”

“You’ve got your future all planned.” She pushed off the table moving to stand in front of him.

“I guess so…” He went to take another sip of his drink, only to find his cup empty. With a frown, he placed it on the table and looked back at her.

“What if I’m there as well? Right by your side.”

“I’m afraid I’m not following.”

“Don’t you get it?” Fleur grasped his hands in hers and stared intently into his eyes, “I’m here because I’m _serious.”_ William laughed and gave her an exaggerated once over.

“Yeah, you look real serious.” Fleur dropped his hands and stepped back, her chest tightening with anger and shame. 

“William, don’t forget that I got into this school too,” Fleur said. Her hands clenched into fists “I have just as much a right to be here as anybody!”

“You know that’s not what I meant--”

“No, I think it’s exactly what you meant.” She paused, looking at him with new eyes, “You don’t think I’m good enough for you, do you?” He stuttered and she backed away.

“Fleur!” he called, as she pushed through the crowd, towards the door. She didn’t turn around and escaped into the cold night air.

\----


	7. Chip on My Shoulder pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> um, this is not that edited so if you see any mistakes, pls let me know!
> 
> feel free to leave comments and kudos bc they make my day!
> 
> stay safe y'all
> 
> <3 
> 
> Zen

“Woah, Fleur. What’s up… doc?” Fleur raised her head, her eyes squinting in confusion. Hermione stood next to the bench, her hands awkwardly tucked into her pockets and Fleur was reminded of a similar encounter. It seemed that the brunette had a knack for finding her at her lowest and most shame-inducing points.

_ "Quoi?" _ Fleur did not have the mental capacity to deal with the strange phrasings of the English. Hermione shook her head in dismissal. 

“Nevermind, muggle reference. Anyway, what’s wrong? Why are you out here in... that?” The brunette waved her hand, gesturing at Fleur's less than appropriate outfit.

“Love,” Fleur said flatly. Hermione’s eyes widened and Fleur belatedly realized how bad that must have sounded.

“Excuse me?”

“I put my faith in love and followed where it led—”

“Love led you here?”

“To my personal circle of  _ hell _ ,” Fleur continued, not even hearing the brunette,  _ "Je souhaiterais être mort!" _

“Ok, hold on!” Hermione exclaimed, holding her hands out and stopping Fleur from going down a spiral. “You came out here to follow a  _ man? _ Hogwarts was just a means of getting to him?” Fleur pursed her lips and nodded.

"Wow…” Hermione chuckled, shaking her head, “what rich, romantic planet are you from?" If Fleur was expecting any reaction, this was not it. Hermione's eyes were narrowed and a muscle in her cheek was starting to twitch.

"France?" the Veela offered weakly, making Hermione scoff and shake her head.

"So instead of eating crepes and drinking espressos, you stalked some guy to law school? That’s the  _ weirdest _ reason I have-"

"Well, why did  _ you _ come?" Fleur cut in, not in the mood for a lecture on her life decisions. Hermione hesitated for a second before sitting down next to her, plunking her messenger bag on the floor.

“Ok,” she inhaled and rubbed hands together, forming a response. Fleur waited, crossing her legs and adjusting her ears. 

“As I’m sure you know, the wizarding world is not the kindest to people who are different,” Hermione said, gazing distantly at the wrought iron gates in the distance, “I was immediately dismissed because of my non-magical background. I was constantly,  _ constantly _ pushed aside and looked down on just because I wasn’t a pureblood. So, I decided that I’d prove them all wrong and make my mark on this world.”

“Just because you have—  _ comment dites-vous? _ — a chip off your shoulder?” Fleur replied, casting a warming charm on her outfit but not bothering to transform it into something more appropriate. Her bunny ears drooped sadly to the side and she sighed.

“A chip on your shoulder.” Hermione automatically corrected with a small smile on her face, which was replaced almost immediately by a stern look. “And yes, that ‘chip on my shoulder’ was the thing that got me through law school. I worked my ass off to get where I am, had two jobs along with becoming valedictorian, so I apologize for not feeling particularly sympathetic to your plight.”

The Muggleborn got up, collecting her bag and, pausing to wrap her sweater around Fleur’s shoulders, started walking towards the gate. “I want that sweater back, by the way,” she called over her shoulder. Fleur sat there and Hermione’s voice reverberated in her ears.  _ I worked two jobs along with becoming valedictorian. I worked two jobs— _

“Wait!” she called, surging to her feet. She nearly toppled over, just barely managing to right herself as Hermione turned around.

“Yes?”

“Two jobs  _ and _ becoming valedictorian? How did you do it?” Hermione arched her brow and began to walk towards her.

“I haven’t slept in years,” she replied with a wry smile. Fleur shook her head and wrapped the sweater tighter around her body. “But in all seriousness, I don’t go to parties a lot… or ever and I don’t spend hours doing my hair and staying in shape.”

“Well, I don’t spend  _ hours— _ ” Fleur said, shutting her mouth at Hermione’s bemused look.

“Come on, Delacour, I’ll walk you back to your dorm.” Hermione jerked her head, indicating that Fleur should lead the way. They walked back in silence, Fleur’s heels clicking on the pavement the only sound heard.

——

“Make yourself at home,” she said as she grabbed a pair of clothes from her dresser and disappeared into the bathroom.

“I did not know purebloods knew about Redbull,” Hermione said, eyeing the shelves. There was a pause and some shuffling before Fleur replied.

“I found it on an outing! It gives me energy!” She shouted and Hermione heard a dull thump as Fleur most likely crashed into the wall. A muffled string of French curses filtered through the door and Hermione snorted.

“For all the nights you’ve stayed up studying, I suppose?” Hermione asked. There was a pause and Hermione groaned. “You do study don’t you?”

“I mean…”

_ “Fleur!” _ Fleur exited the bathroom, smiling weakly.

“If you want to be taken seriously then you need to study. Where are your law books?” Hermione asked, looking around in exasperation.

“Erm… they’re around here somewhere…” Fleur drew her wand and murmured  _ Accio _ , barely managing to duck the barrage of books that knocked into the wall. Hermione frowned at the packaging that was still on the majority of them and unwrapped one.

“Been reading hard, haven’t you?” Fleur rolled her eyes and took the book from Hermione, who turned back to Fleur’s makeshift vanity. “You know, this is quite nice, but its original use is supposed to be as a desk.” Fleur gasped as, without any prompting, the brunette started to throw her many potions and products into the wastebasket at the bottom of her desk.

“Get these out, put them in storage, sell them on  _ eBay—” _

“What is an  _ ‘eBay’?” _

“Not important. Spend less time grooming and more time improving what’s inside your head.” Hermione said, poking Fleur hard on the forehead. Fleur batted her hand away with a glare as Hermione continued to throw things into the wastebasket. 

“I’d thank you to stop throwing all my stuff away!” She exclaimed. Hermione smirked and swept one critical eye over the now clean desk. She summoned Fleur’s law books over and they landed with a thump.

“You know what I don’t understand?” the lawyer asked, “You managed to get into one of the best schools of Magical Law. Do you realize the chance you’ve been given? How are you not driven as hell?” Fleur swallowed and perched on her bed.

“You think I can do this?” she asked, a disbelieving smile playing on her lips. Hermione looked at her for a few seconds, expression unreadable, before nodding decisively.

“Yeah, I believe you can.”

“Will you help me?”

Hermione grinned. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Delacour, bright and early.” 

With one last, tired smile, the brunette exited the dorm, gently shutting the door behind her. It wasn’t until she was positive that Hermione was gone, that Fleur pulled the sweater back out. She slipped it on with a soft smile and felt her Veela settle ever so slightly.

It was comfy, sue her. She’d return it in the morning.

——

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do you think she's gonna return the sweater?
> 
> scream at me on Tumblr: @judging-seahorse
> 
> lmaoo okie baii


End file.
